Press for operating upon sheet material



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 8, 1928 A BREDENBERG PRESS FOR OPERATINGUPON SHEET MATERIAL Dec. 9, 1930.

ATTORNEY-5. J

Dec. 9, 1930. A. BREDENBERG PRESS FOR OPERATING UPON SHEET MATERIALFiled March 8, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 0- 6 5 4 8 g I: ATTORNEjS,1

Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED BBEDENBERG, OFCHAMPLAIN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE SHERIDAN IRON WORKS, OFGHAMPLAIN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK, AND ONE-HALF TO T. W. &C. B. SHERIDAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION 01 NEW YORK PRESS FOB OPERATING UPON SHEET MATERIALApplication filed larch 8, 1928. Serial No. 260,186.

This invention is a novel press for operating upon sheetmaterial, andrefers more particularly to the class of press for applying operatingpressure upon successive portions of material, such as leather orcardboard, namely, for embossing, plating, cutting, punching, orperforming other press operations u on the sheet material.

The eatures of invention are shown illustratively applied to a poweroperated press of the Sheridan type, comprising opposite, or upper andlower, platens moved one toward the other for the cutting, embossing orother operation, and separated from each other to permit the feed,shift, or removal of the work or sheet material, to ether with automaticwork feeding or shifting means operating to advance the sheet materialbetween the platens during that portion of the cycle of operationswherein the platens are separated. This class and type of press; istypically illustrated by my prior Patent No. 1,053,566 of February 18,1913, wherein embossin or flat plating operations are performe While insome cases the sheet material might be in continuous web or strip form,or carried along between press operations by means of a continuous webor strip,

the invention herein is shown a plied to. a-

press wherein separate pieces 0 sheet material are fed successively andintermittently from an infeed point to operating position and therefromto an outfeed point. The supply or infeed of sheets of material to themachine may be by hand or any automatic infeed mechanism, and forsimplicity the dis- 7 closed embodiment employs the hand supplyin g orinfeeding system, analogous to my said Patent 1,053,566.

The relative approach and recession of the press members or operatingplatens may be effected from the main power shaft or other source ofpower in any desired manner, for example by the employment oftoggle-mechanism arranged to elevate the lower platen or bed,analogously to my said Patent 1,053,- 566, or to my expired Patent821,079 of May 20, 1906, or hydraulically or otherwise. It will beunderstood that in the case of an embossing or flat plating press thetoggle or other pressing connections will be arranged and operated tomaintain high pressure upon the work for a substantial period of time orportion of the entire cycle of operations; Whereas with a cutting outpress as herein illustratively shown there is no need for continuedpressure, and the lifting of the pressing bed is herein followed by itsimmediate lowering.

Along with the elements thus generally referred to is combined a workfeeding or conveying means or device, which may be referred to as thework carrier, arranged to advance each portion or piece of sheetmaterial into operating position and subsequently advance it further toremove it from position, while bringing a new portion into position.This may, as in said Patent 1,053,566, comprise-an endless feeder orcarrier, as a pair of traveling chains advancing in unison at the twosides of the machine and carrying a series of spaced holding means forgrip- S ing successive pieces of sheet material.

uch work carrier is intermittent in operation, pausing to leave the workstationary during the pressing operation, and-advancing betweenoperations while the platens are separated. The so-called Geneva stopmotion is a known advantageous means of producing intermittent advancingmovements of an element with relative ease of action; thus my Patent1,347,492 shows a special form of Geneva mechanism operating upon thebook carrier of a bookbinding or covering machine. Despite theadvantages of the Geneva intermittent motion it is found to impose anundue limitation on the speed and output of a press by reason of theinherent limitations of the ordinary Geneva mechanism. Other motionshave been tried; thus in Patent 1,053,566 the press is shown as havingthe work carrier chains advanced intermittently by means of a toothedsector. This however is also found not to be capable of the high speedof output desirable for modern production.

The general object of the present invention therefore is to afiord a,press wherein the carrier for the automatic feed of the work may beadvanced in a smooth, easy and quiet manner, yet such as to permitsubstantially greater speed of operation and output than in the fastestpresses of the same class already known. A particular object is toafford a particular combination employing the 1111-- derlying principlesof the Geneva type of intermittent feed ut not having the speedlimitation of the usual or known arrangements.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will beelucidated in the hereinafter following description of an embodimentthereof or will be understood to those conversant with the subjectmatter.

To the attainment of such objects and advantages the present inventionconsists in the novel press, and the novel features of operation,combination, arrangement and mechanism herein illustrated or described.

- In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 may be considered a left sideelevation of a power ress embodying the present invention, the ront sideof the press being at the right end of'this figure, where the operativemay attend to the infeeding of successive sheets to the work carrier.

Fig.2 is a partial front view of the press showing particularly the leftend thereof with the gearing concerned particularly in the presentinvention.

Fig. 3 is a more or less diagrammatic left elevation of certain partsdetached, taken partly in section substantially .on the line 33 of Fig.2.

Fig. 4-. is a detached and enlarged left elevation of a detail, namelyone of the work feeding grippers.

The invention may be described in one aspect as consisting of a powerpress for cut-- ting, embossing or performing other pressing operationsupon cardboard, leather or other sheet material, the same comprising theopposite press members or platens, the power shaft, and -connections forcausing one of the press members to move toward and from the other ineach cycle, in combination with a work feeding carrier of any typeadapted to advance successive portions of the sheet material into orfrom operating position between the press members, an intermittent drivedevice of the Geneva or crank and star type, or

other type giving analogous easy motion, for causing the feed or advanceof the carrier and work between ressingoperations, and finally atransmittmg means between the power shaft and the intermittent drivedevice such as to deliver relatively high speed to the device during thepressing period or portion of the cycle and'a low speed during thefeeding period; this final element consisting specifically of a fast andslow transmitter, such as elliptical gearing, between the power shaftand the intermittent drive, timed to turn the crank member thereof atslow speed while engaged with the star member and at fast speed whendisengaged therefrom.

Referring first to the left and front elevations of Figs. 1 and 2, themachine is seen to comprise a base 10 supporting a frame 11 whichcomprises uprights that are interconnected at the top of the machine bya beam 12, these frame elements being substantially as ordinarilyconstructed in this class of ress, of heavy, strong and rigid structure.

he pressing members of the press comprise a top platen or press member14, the lower part 15 of which contacts the material during pressure,and a lower platen ,or press member 16, this being preferably themovable member, and having at its upper side a pressing portion or bed17 of any desired character. The drawings show a number of ad'= juncts,commonly used in this type of press, but which have no particularrelation to the features of invention hereof and will not be described.

The connections for effecting the operative pressure between theplatens, preferably by raising the lower press member or bed, are poweroperated, the power being derived from what may be termed the powershaft 20, from which the several motions of the machine take theiraction, and which in turn may derive its power from any desired source,as an electric motor and reduction gearing.

The pressing connections from the power shaft 20 may be of the toggletype. Such connections are well known and are sufliciently illustratedby the dotted lines in Fig. 1. On the power shaft are one or more cranks21 each connected by a rod or pitman 22 with a crosshead 23 arranged tomove upwardly and downwardly and shown in its lowest position. Eachcrosshead directly operates a horizontal toggle comprising a pair oflinks 24 extending from the crosshead forwardly and rearwardly each to avertical toggle. There are thus at least four pairs of vertical toggleseach com rising a pair of links 25, the lower of which may have a fixedfulcrum while the upper link of each pair is shown fulcrumed directly tothe rising and falling lower press member 16.

The work feeding carrier is preferably an endless device in the nature 0one or more traveling bands or sprocket chains 28, for example anopposite pair of these, arranged to advance in unison through thepressing position and carrying spaced devices for holding and carryingsuccessive pieces of material. Thus each of the two chains 28 is shownas passing around a front sprocket or guide 31, which is continuedhorizontally substantially to an upper front sprocket wheel 32 overwhich the chain passes on its way to the first mentionedsprocket wheel29. The two opposite carrier or sprocket chains turn in unison by reasonof their sprocket wheels 30 being mounted on a common shaft 33, which isrevolved intermittently as will be described. The work holding orgripping means may comprise a plurality of spaced crossbars 35, eachcarrying a plurality of grippers 36, five sets of grippers being shownaround the periphery of the chains 28. These gripper devlces may be ofany desired character, for example substantially on the principles of mysald Patent 1,053,566, and as indicated separately in Fig. 4 hereof, theactual gripping fingers or plates 37 are pressed into gri pin positionby springs 38 but are adapted to %e opened by the upward movement of thepress bed carrying the gripper tail 39 against a fixed plate 40 carriedat the lower end of a rod '41 adjustably mounted on the upper pressmember or platen 14. From Fig. 1 it will be understood that when the bedis raised to press one piece of material the next succeeding gripper 36is opened by contact with the plate 40 at the front of the machine,thereby permitting the next piece of material to be fed into grippingposition, the gripper closing as the bed descends so that the materialis gripped properly for feeding forward into pressing position in thenext cycle namely between the cross bar 35 and grip finger 37.

The complete connections from the power shaft 20 to the work feedingcarrier will first be described and then the operation thereof. Thefeeding and pressing operations are coordinated because both taken fromthe power shaft the connections for lifting the pressing bed havingalready been described, one complete rotation of the power shaftconstitutiog a complete cycle, the bed rising for the pressing actionand descending to inltial position. The feeding connections commencewith the fast and slow transmitting device followed by the intermittentor.

. 48, analogous to the usual recessed disk of a Geneva motion, servingto lock the driven elements against accidental motion when not beingdriven. The driven shaft 47 also carries a crank arm or disk 49supportin a crank or pin 50 which is the crank memier of the Genevamotion, the fast and slow gearing being arranged to, turn this crank atslower speed while engaged with the driven or star member of the Genevamotion and at faster speed when disengaged therefrom.

The driven portion of the Geneva motion is mounted on the intermittentlydriven shaft 52, which carries the star wheel or member 53 which isformed with radial arms 54 constituting guides for the crank member 50.The minimum practical number of points or radial guides is shown, namelyfour, and each of these guides is shown specifically as enclosing a slotor slidewa 55 in which the crank or pin 50 may trave radially inwardlyand outwardly during that part of the cycle in which the drive elementsoperate to turn the driven elements through a quadrant of rotation.Between each two radii or points of the star wheel are shown webs 56 ofconcave or are shape complementar to the circular contour of the lockingdisk 48, and in Fig. 3 the locking disk is shown about to disengage oneof these are webs 56 as the crank pin 50 commences its operativeengagement with the star wheel.

The Geneva driven shaft 52 therefore turns with intermittent motion, theactual period of motion being prolon ed by the fast and slow gearing andthe perlod of rest being shortened or minimized. This action may betransmitted to the work feeding carrier as follows. On the driven shaft52 is shown a toothed gear 57 and this engages a pinion 58 on a countershaft 59 at the upper part of the machine. This shaft 59 at anotherpoint carries a sprocket wheel 60 which drives a sprocket chain 61extending rearwardly to a sprocket wheel 62 fixed on the same shaft 33which carries the sprocket wheels 30 that drive the two carrier chains28.

The operation and advantages may be explained as follows. With theordinary type of Geneva intermittent drive the driving or crank memberis rotated at a uniform speed by its shaft and operates to rotate thedriven or star member at a varying angular speed commencing with zeroand terminating with zero, with a maximum speedwhen the crank pin is inalinement with the two axes. The inherent result is, with a four pointstar wheel, that the latter will be in motion during a quadrant or about90 of rotation of the driver, this motion therefore occupying 25% of thecomplete cycle of the machine, and with a five or six point wheel thefraction would be yet smaller. The starting up of the work carrier, itsacceleration to its maximum speed and its slowing down and. stoppage,with a quite extended length of travel, must therefore be performedwithin at most 25% of the entire cycle. This gives'satisfactory andsmooth drive for low speed presses, but notwithstanding the advantagesof the Geneva mechanism the speed changes are prohibitive, injurious tothe mechanism, and noisy at hi h speeds. The essence of the presentinvention is the prolonging or drawing out of the percentage or portionof the entire cycle occupied by the actuation of the work carrier, thusapportioning the cycle to more effective advantage between the pressingand feeding actions. This can not be done by substituting a three pointfor a four int star wheel as the Geneva mechanism 1s not practical withless than four tracks or slots. The principles of the present inventionmight be employed to rea portion the cycle wlth a five point star w eel,but its most favorable results are obtained by use with the four pointwheel.

The present invention operates by giving to the driver or crank membera'varying speed, namely fast and slow, and utilizing the slow portion ofits rotation for the actuation of the star wheel, so that the period ofsuch actuation will be materially prolonged, the crank member rotatingat its maximum speed when out of engagement with the star member, thusshortening the pauses between drives.

While the fast and slow rotation of the crank member may be efiected bydifferent fast and slow transmitting gears a convenient and smoothoperating means for this purpose consists in elliptical gearing. If nowwe assume that the lon and short radii of the elliptical gears are 1nthe proportion of two to one, and that power shaft 20 turns 12revolutions per minute, it follows that the intermediate shaft 47 willmake a complete turn in 5 seconds, at a mean speed of 12 rotations perminute, but with a maximum speed of 24 per'minute at one part of thecycle and a minimum of 6 per minute at another-part of the cycle. Thecrank and star members are so arranged that when the pin is at itsminimum speed it is in driving engagement with the star member, and inalinement with the two axes, thus driving the star member at the maximumspeed of the latter, whereas when the crank member is at its maximumspeed it is at the opposite point and inoperative. From the time thatthe crank pin engages each slot of the star wheel until it leaves thesame slot it occupies a quarter rotation of the star wheel and deliversone step of intermittent travel to the work carrier, but this actuationoccupies a greater period of time than a quarter of the entire cycle,due to the fact that the in is moving throu hthe slower part of its orit while effecting t e actuation.

Since the minimum angular speed of the crank in is in the neighborhoodof only half 0 its mean speed 1t follows that the maximum speed of thestar wheel is' materially reduced as compared with an ordinary Genevamechanism.

The is a su tantial reduction of the maximum speed of work feed, and aprolongation of the period of work feed, in this case from 25% to ashigh as 33% or higher, without sacrificing but enhancing the ease andsmoothness of engagement, drive and disrequired three. Where as high asfourteen operations per'minute'have been obtainable the presentinvention permits a speed of twenty per minute.

There has thus been described a ress for operating upon sheet materialembo ying the features and attaining the objects of the presentinvention. Since many matters of operation, combination, arrangement andmechanism may be variously modified without departing from theprinciples of the invention it is not intended to limit the invention tosuch matters except so far as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a power operated platen press for performing pressing operationsupon leather, cardboard or analogous sheet material, of the classwherein is a work feeding carrier for advancing successive portions ofthe sheet material between the opposing press members and an automaticmechanism for actuating such work feeding carrier; such actuatingmechanism comprising in combination, a crank member, and a star memberdriven thereby, said members constituting an intermittent drive deviceand having connections from the star member for shifting the carrier andwork between pressing operations, together with a fast-and-slowtransmitting gear taking its motion from the same power source as thepressing operation and connected to drive said crank member and timed toadvance the latter at the slow speed while engaged with the star memberand at the fast speed while disen aged therefrom, whereby the carriershiftlng and work advancing period of each cycle is relatively from thestar member for shifting the carrier pgactical result therefore is thatthere.

driving the star member during the feeding period and at the fast speedwhile disengaged from the star member during the pressing period.

In a power operated platen press for performing pressing operations uponleather, cardboard or analogous sheet material, of the class wherein isa work feeding carrier for advancing successive portions of the sheetmaterial between the opposing press members and an automatic mechanismfor actuating such work feeding carrier; such actuating mechanismcomprising in combination, a

crank and a four-point star wheel driven thereby constituting anintermittent drive device and having connections from the star wheel forshifting the carrier and work, together with a fast-and-slowtransmitting gear taking its motion from the power source and connectedto drive said crank and timed to advance the latter between pressingoperations at the slow speed While the crank engaged with and drivingthe star wheel and during pressing operations at the fast speed whiledisengaged from the star wheel; whereby the carrier shifting and workadvancing portion of each cycle is relatively prolonged and the periodof rest shortened.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature hereto.

ALFRED BREDENBERG.

